Unpaid Research program and outsourced R&D policy

[Pawelk198604]

I want to maximize my science i want have both on 100 % what do you think? How maximize science?

now i have 55 and 65 % bust because i cannot afford more, to little money an prestige

Edited October 9, 2014 by Pawelk198604

[cheeseit]

I did a mission to Ike because I had the Explore Ike mission up.

I used 70% of rep towards science and 50% of credit income to science. In one mission to Ike I got 7700 science from the relatively simple mission.

The way the resource swapping works seems imbalanced as hell.

[Shisouka]

Both on 100% is a bad idea .. You need some founds to actually launch a rocket!?

Even the difference between 5% commitment and 100% is not that big.

[RizzoTheRat]

I'm running at 20% credit to science and it's a huge difference. I agree it's unbalanced but you've got to remember it's a development game, the mechanism is in there and can be updated for future versions. The trick is to find a balance that works for your playing style, for most people who've already played sandbox that probably means maximising science, unlocking the tech tree early on, but then really having to watch the money and do everything on a tight budget.

[BoilingCold]

I've actually decided that I'm not going to use these two policies in my Career game. They are simply too strong with the current science rewards. I maxed out the stock tech tree in about 6 flights yesterday!

If you want a more satisfying Career mode may I suggest turning the science and reputation reward sliders down a lot in the difficulty options? I've just started a new career game with them both at 30% and I suspect that even that may be too much!

[Pawelk198604]

I've actually decided that I'm not going to use these two policies in my Career game. They are simply too strong with the current science rewards. I maxed out the stock tech tree in about 6 flights yesterday!

If you want a more satisfying Career mode may I suggest turning the science and reputation reward sliders down a lot in the difficulty options? I've just started a new career game with them both at 30% and I suspect that even that may be too much!

So it's better not use science boosting strategy?

I think i load my previous save and use only "unpaid space research" prestige to science and not use "science outsourcing"

I wonder what prestige are for what for? I heard that after accumulating certain numbers of "prestige points" is career victory?

[KerbMav]

If you want a more satisfying Career mode may I suggest turning the science and reputation reward sliders down a lot in the difficulty options? I've just started a new career game with them both at 30% and I suspect that even that may be too much!

Lowering the science reward can lead to very slow influx of science and technology at the start of a new career - mostly only to avoid getting to much science from other/later bodies.

Might I suggest this little gem instead?

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/80220-Celestial-Body-Science-Multiplier-Editor

[problemecium]

I wouldn't say it's unbalanced - rather the strategies provide players the ability to easily make the game unbalanced. I've found that you really shouldn't be too aggressive with them at the beginning or you'll have problems like swimming in Science but having no money to actually buy the unlocked parts.

[SkyRender]

I wouldn't say it's unbalanced - rather the strategies provide players the ability to easily make the game unbalanced. I've found that you really shouldn't be too aggressive with them at the beginning or you'll have problems like swimming in Science but having no money to actually buy the unlocked parts.

That would be a problem, if there was ever any real need for more than about 5% of the overall parts in the tech tree. 25% funds to science seems to be the sweet spot on Hard, since missions generally reward about 4x the funds necessary to complete them on Normal. On Hard it's more like 2.5x, and with 25% funds going to science, you get around 1.5 to 2x your launch costs back in Funds as well as a very nice bit of science to play with.

[Franklin]

I did a mission to Ike because I had the Explore Ike mission up.

I used 70% of rep towards science and 50% of credit income to science. In one mission to Ike I got 7700 science from the relatively simple mission.

The way the resource swapping works seems imbalanced as hell.

I can't tell if it's the strategies that are unbalanced or the gains in general that are unbalanced. Even on hard you get a truckload of funds, which through strategies means you also get a truckload of science or rep.

Either the strategies need to cost even more, or have ramp-up/ramp-down time periods where they don't work yet or can't be swapped out yet, or I unno. So far if you game strategies right you can get a truckload of any currency from a single mission.

edit: I think a lot of the imbalance also revolves around quickload/revert usage, though, in that you never actually have to be penalized. But that's a self control thing rather than an actual game exploit.

[LethalDose]

I haven't played through the new career yet, but this sounds like a balance issue. However, since it is a balance issue, and not a problem with the fundamental mechanics, this is one of those times where "It's in development" is a pretty valid point. That being said, it'd be nice to get it tweaked ASAP.

Has anyone taken apart the code that handles the administration strategies? There should be some parameter that controls the exchange rates, sounds like a good target for a mod similar to Dmagic's celestial body science modifier config.

[SkyRender]

I think that funds->science and funds->reputation just need to have a 10x nerf (ie. 350-to-1 instead of 35-to-1). That would cause their benefits to be more in line with the payouts, and give a small-but-noticeable bonus to science/rep along the way instead of boosting you to absurd levels within just a few contracts. Hopefully we'll also get a direct way to spend funds, science, and rep on one another in the future as well, but that's not really mandatory.

[foma87]

For anyone too lazy to tweak the numbers themselves, I made a config with science from funds and rep from funds nerfed by a facotor of 10 as suggested.

Back up your old strategies.cfg file which is located in gamedata/squad/strategies and copy this file into that folder afterwards.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xyvusp073omc8ue/Strategies.cfg?dl=0

Have fun!